Ingredients

Method

• 30 g powdered gelatine
• 2½ cups water (plus 2T)
• 210 g cornflour (plus 10 g for dusting)
• 750 g white sugar
• 2 T Woolworths rose-flavoured essence
• 2 t Woolworths beetroot powder
• 100 g icing sugar

Method

Ingredients

1 Mix the gelatine and ½ cup water in a small bowl. Set aside to bloom for 5 minutes. In a separate bowl, mix the cornflour and ½ cup plus 2 T water.
2 Place a heavy-based saucepan over a medium heat and add the sugar and remaining water. Stir until the sugar has dissolved.
3 Add the gelatine and cornflour mixtures to the sugar syrup, stir well and bring to the boil.
4 Cook over a medium heat for 30 minutes – the mixture will become a thick, glossy paste that’s milky in colour. It should start pulling away from the sides of the saucepan after 15 minutes of cooking. Cook for a further 5 minutes if you prefer a softer consistency. If you prefer a firmer, bouncier sweet, cook for the full 30 minutes.
5 Add the rose-flavoured essence and beetroot powder and cook for 2 minutes.
6 Pour the pink paste into a lightly oiled or greased 13.5 cm loaf tin. Once just slightly warm to the touch, use a small piece of oiled clingwrap to smooth the surface, cover and leave to set at room temperature. This could take 2–4 hours.
7 Tip out onto a work surface and dust liberally in the remaining cornflour and the icing sugar.
8 Cut into squares of about 2 x 2 cm and coat completely in the cornflour and icing sugar.

Cook’s notes: If you don’t like rose, replace the essence with orange blossom water or lemon juice. Add chopped pistachios, walnuts or dried rose petals to make the Turkish delight even more special. 

Find more sweet treat recipes here

Photography: Shavan Rahim

Videography: Kaylene Sauls

Recipe and production: Marcelle van Rooyen

Food assistant: Bianca Jones

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